Problem With Creation.

Q: I'm not so unhappy as it could seem. It's just very, very frustrating because I know somewhere inside of me, there is a creator who wants to work, but where?

A: Liking beads and "playing" with them is the way to develop creativity with them. Keep playing - do something and if you don't like it, pull it out and do something else. Experiment. Remember, you only have to show your successes to other people. Look at patterns, pictures, needlework, art, and anything else that inspires you. Put together motifs from different sources. Be patient - it takes time to develop your craftsmanship and your creativity. Learn from your mistakes and your triumphs. Don't try to please anyone but yourself. Ideas feed on other ideas, so once you start designing you'll find ideas sometimes come faster than you can use them. Learn as many techniques as you can - even if you end up not using them, they sometimes lead to ideas of what to do or how to do something interesting in a different technique. It took most of the people whose work you admire time to develop their talent. Keep working at it and give yourself time. It's surprising how much this stimulates creativity, even if you think you don't like a particular technique. Another good idea is to keep a scrapbook of work you admire, not to copy, but to inspire you. It can even include pictures of things that aren't jewelry like a picture of a flower arrangement in colors you love. It could translate into a beading project. Are you around other beaders? Joining (or starting) a bead society and taking classes with other interested beaders is a lot of fun, and it gives you someone to talk beading to. Specifically, about 'Nymo' thread, I don't use 'Nymo', I use 'Silamide'. 'Nymo' stretches too much, it takes on a static charge making it difficult to work with unless it is treated, and comes in limited colors. 'Silamide' is a treated thread used for upholstery work, as is 'Conso'. 'Silamide' is generally thicker than 'Nymo', making it harder to thread, but it works much better for me. If you have any further questions, let me know.

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